


Table for Two

by Coraleeveritas



Series: Apartment Block 13 [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Introspection, This is apparently a series now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 07:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14327667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coraleeveritas/pseuds/Coraleeveritas
Summary: Brienne didn't really know why she'd felt compelled to invite her infuriating, though gorgeous, neighbour to join her for dinner that coming Saturday, though it could have had something to do with seeing an exhausted Jaime Lannister dragging himself up the stairs every morning for the last week.





	Table for Two

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still struggling with writing, though that could have something to do with being sick for the past month with one thing or another, but I've managed to add another little chapter to the Jaime POV story I posted at the beginning of the month. Huge thank yous to everyone who read and commented! You're all too lovely.
> 
> Same rules apply with this one, with one exception. There'll also be one more chapter as well to wrap things up. Hopefully these follow what feels like a natural progression. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine and anything you recognise doesn't belong to me.

Brienne didn't really know why she'd felt compelled to invite her infuriating, though gorgeous, neighbour to join her for dinner that coming Saturday, though it could have had something to do with seeing an exhausted Jaime Lannister dragging himself up the stairs every morning for the last week. Darkening circles had ringed his eyes like bruises, the stubble decorating his strong jaw becoming more of a leonine golden beard as the days ticked by, stained pastel scrubs doing nothing to prevent her from feeling as if he'd been to hell and back but didn't have anyone else who cared enough to listen.

The question had slipped past her lips before she'd had a chance to think how he would react, she understood a little something about loneliness, too, though the delighted smile that slowly stretched across his face was far from the teasing remarks Brienne expected him to counter with before, eventually, one of them arranged another opportunity to sit down and bicker properly with each other. She paused while Jaime yawned, the moment passing as he finally found just enough bite to run through his usual routine of calling her anything but her name, some of the terms tending towards fond rather than deliberately harsh or sarcastic. As always she met what she could the best she could, the only way to make sense of his occasional change in tone to think he was too tired to put up much of a fight or she was getting too used to his antics, a sudden shrill ring from her phone acting as a reminder that there would soon be two dozen children waiting for their teacher to arrive.

Wishing him a good morning and good night in the same breath as he fumbled to find his keys, Brienne was glad Jaime wasn't around to see the unwanted smile that flickered at the corners of her mouth all the way to work.

He had been one of the few people in the complex she hadn't been able to recognise at a glance, his presence at the last residents' event a strangely pleasant surprise that had quickly turned sour, everything about him perfectly put together to gnaw on her usually very patient nerves. Since she worked with seven year olds on a daily basis, even giving up her Saturday mornings to run an art club that fell into organised chaos more often than not, she should have been more than capable of handling one grown man with a competitive streak a mile wide. But there were no other men like Jaime Lannister, as he'd informed her over the first coffee of their odd, antagonistic friendship, habits forming days before she really started to enjoy the unique French roast blend of their local coffee house, his company and their twice weekly early morning disagreements.

And now, three days after the invite was ectended, Jaime looked nervous for the first time in his life, hovering in the hallway with a bottle of expensively labelled red clutched in one hand, still unshaven but wearing a beautifully tailored suit that made her feel underdressed in the fluffy blue sweater she last wore to the school's Christmas party. At least she'd been able to wash most of the paint out of her hair before he'd shown up. Though the tiny voice that often niggled at the back of her mind whenever she stepped out of her comfort zone, full of long buried insecurities and hard truths, broke into a cruel, disbelieving laugh only Brienne could hear.

This was never supposed to be a date.

She shouldn't read anything into him dressing up when he came from the kind of money who could wear tuxedos to breakfast.

He probably had a dozen bespoke suits hanging in his closet.

Someone like him would never want to date someone like her anyway.

The kiss he dropped on her cheek as he squeezed passed to fuss the two overexcited dogs circling around their feet felt like a casual afterthought, like something Jaime thought he should do rather than really wanting to let his lips linger on her heated skin. And they had certainly lingered long enough for Brienne to realise that he smelled better than every one of the herbs and spices she had thrown at the chicken currently waiting to be roasted. Most of the time she didn't even _like_ him; he had that ridiculous face of a fallen angel, an ego that came from knowing just how handsome and talented he was, plus she was pretty sure he'd chosen paediatric surgery as his speciality just because it made a better pick up line than urology. His brother had been close to confirming her suspicious the one time they'd spoken on the phone, Tyrion abusing the phrase 'in case of emergencies' on a night when the oncology department at Jaime's hospital had made the heartwarming portion of the evening news.

Her hormones, however, hadn't so far listened to any of the rational reasons she could dredge up about how developing a crush on the man, the friend, who lived directly under her was a bad idea. She had even tried to picture the face of an ex who wasn't really an ex, futile as it was, when Jaime wound her into so many knots it was less embarrassing to silently find pleasurable relief in her tub than admit her feelings for him were becoming more and more complicated.

Her head spinning, Brienne closed the door with a sigh that seemed to echo all the way down to the lobby. She was beginning to think that bringing Jaime into her safe space, allowing him to bond with her pets and fall onto her sofa like he'd always been there, implying all he needed was a non-microwaveable meal and a drama free evening to get over the week was just setting everything up to fail.

"So, Blue-Brie," he called from the front room, the smirk already back on his face from the sound of things. "When's dinner?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :)


End file.
